Movies - TV
Michael Ironside Didn't Understand Why Paul Verhoeven Would Direct Starship Troopers
By ANYA STANLEY
After missing a chance to work with director Paul Verhoeven in "Robocop," Michael Ironside had another opportunity in 1990 with "Total Recall" and later again with an adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's controversial novel, "Starship Troopers." The latter’s sci-fi story was criticized for its strains of fascism, leaving Ironside uncertain why Verhoeven chose to adapt it.
When Ironside questioned the director, he responded, "Alright, I'll tell you my take on the book. I want to create a perfect society. [...] And this whole incredible structure that they've built for themselves is only good for killing bugs!" "Starship Troopers" appears as a goofy war movie filled with patriotism and big guns, but underneath the facade is the society's rigid ideals.
According to Ironside, Verhoeven said, “If we tell the story and go up against it, we're dealing against people's prejudices. We're dealing with people's inflexibility. What you have to do is tell the story that takes exactly what they're pushing to extremes so they can see it the way it is." After hearing the director's reasoning, Ironside responded, "I'm in."